Think Twice
by boshrocks
Summary: Post a professional Quidditch accident Harry and Hermione must face a new trial: going back to school and working alongside their worst enemy. story is way better than summery since i suck at writing them.
1. Chapter 1

Although she was used to the sight, Hermione held her breath as she watched Harry fall. Down and down he plummeted, painfully fast. He'd taken a bludger to the head and was now staring down the hurting end of a week long coma in St Mungo's.

She hated it when he got hurt, but unfortunately, being Harry Potter's best friend had its drawbacks. This was one of them.

It was indeed a week later when Harry woke up. Groaning his pain he looked around. Thanks to his status in the wizarding community he'd warranted a small private room in the hospital. Hermione always joked that they reserved it for him because he was always there.

In the cheap armchair by his bed, sleeping uncomfortably, a stack of parchment on her lap and quill slipping from her fingers, was Hermione. There was no one else there.

Harry noticed another stack of parchment on the floor beside her chair and knew that she must have been writing her next book while she waited for him. She usually did.

Although it took tremendous effort to move his arm he grabbed a plastic cup from his bedside table and threw it at Hermione. She woke with a start and glared at him.

"That's only funny the first fifty times." She snapped at him. He sniggered then winced from the pain. She didn't even bother to look concerned.

"I know I get stuck in here a lot but you could at least pretend to be anxious for me."

"Oh Harry, Harry, Harry. Even at twenty-six you still want to be mothered don't you?"

With no scruples at all he replied that yes, he did.

She snorted and gathered up her papers.

"So, what's the diagnosis on my injuries this time?"

"Healers think you should take a break from quidditch for a while."

"What? For how long?"

"About a year."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Sorry, hun. You've hit your head too many times, and the Healers think that you've put your brains in danger. Of course I told them that you didn't have all that many to begin with."

"Ha, frickin' ha." Harry said sarcastically.

"In all seriousness, though, I kind of agree as does your coach and he said that you should take a break from the sport."

"Hermione, I'll go mad without quidditch for a whole year."

"I know. And I have a solution. Dumbledore dropped by while you were out of it and he offered us teaching posts at Hogwarts. Your coach has approved it and says he'll save a spot for you on the Tornados. We have to move back to school when the rest of the staff do in two weeks."

"How are we getting there?"

"Same way…well I always did. The train."

"I'm in too much pain to acknowledge the reference to the flying car incident. What jobs are they?"

"Most of the staff that we had are still there but a few are moving on. Madam Hooch is leaving and you're taking her spot. Madam Pince is going and so I'm to be the new librarian. We've also been ordered to think of an extra curricular club to run each."

"Like what?"

"We'll you could reopen Dumbledore's Army for example and I have no idea what my club's going to be."

Again Harry's chuckle was followed by a wince.

The next day the hospital said Harry was free to go, so long as he took the potions they prescribed for him and took it easy for a while. And take it easy he did.

The following two weeks were spent in busy preparation for the move back to their old school. Well, Hermione was busy. Harry had taken the Healer's advice to the letter and had barely left the sofa in their flat since his return from St Mungo's.

He just lay there, bossing Hermione around as she packed their trunks and boxes. Hermione was thoroughly annoyed with her best friend but since his recent stint in St Mungo's he had been guilting her about his 'injury'. He always did this after he was injured in his job, but she always fell for his 'wounded puppy' act.

That was until she mentioned that he had to actually plan his lessons and organise the pitch times for each house and organise something special for his first year to make his mark on the job. Hermione had a good giggle at his expense.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt extremely weird stepping onto the Hogwarts Express after eight years away from it. But there was something comforting in seeing the big red train again, even if it was strange not seeing throngs of students and parents around them.

They were welcomed by their previous teachers like equals which only added to their unease. To their previous professors the whole thing was clearly very amusing.

"Weird isn't it? Trust me, I know the feeling." a familiar voice said to Hermione as the speaker helped her shift her trunk onto the train. She didn't look at him until they had settled her trunk amongst the other luggage. He was a tall, good-looking man about their age, with white blond hair and a rather pointed face. He smirked a horribly familiar smirk at her and she backed away from him a little, almost tripping over a box.

"Malfoy?"

"In the faultless flesh."

"I see your ego hasn't changed in the slightest. What the hell are you doing here?" Hermione fired quickly without even pausing between sentences.

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you? I'm the Potions Master."

Hermione made no answer but turned her back on him, raised her eyes to the heavens and declared that they had to be kidding.

Clearing her throat she turned around to face him again. "You weren't that good at potions at school. You were just Snape's favourite."

"Actually I was both. I was his favourite because I was so good at potions. You only saw the first part. I was better than you at potions."

"That's some claim, boy. Care to test it this year?"

"How?"

"Dumbledore sets a series of potions challenges to be done in the great hall in front of the school. Then we'll see who the best is."

"You haven't changed at all, have you Hermione? You can't stand the fact that I'm better than you."

"Hah! You are not better. Not at potions, not at anything."

"Mione? What's going on?" Harry asked coming in with a box in his arms. He nearly dropped it when he laid eyes on Malfoy. "You?" he set the box down, not taking his eyes off Malfoy.

"Me. Oh, don't look so shocked, Potter. Surely we can get along now that we're older and possibly wiser than we were when we were schoolboys." Malfoy held out a hand for Harry to shake.

Harry's incredulity was only matched in Hermione's disbelief. Malfoy restrained a snigger at the expressions on their faces.

Harry extended his hand to shake his former rival's. Malfoy looked quite surprised that he had responded. Harry smiled. "You know, I am a bit tired of thinking badly of you. Ginny always said that if we hadn't had that initial stigmatism we could have been great friends." Harry's voice cracked a little and he broke off, looking sad.

Malfoy acknowledged the look. "How are the Weasels doing anyway?"

Hermione and Harry shared a look and Harry turned and left the room without a word. Malfoy acknowledged the look and his reaction. He sent a puzzled look at Hermione who smiled a little.

"It's still very hard for him. It's hard for all of us. And we hardly speak to the Weasleys anymore."

"Why ever not?"

"Because of Ron." Hermione almost whispered.

"I heard about that, I'm sorry."

"Posthumously he achieved what he had always wanted in his life. All he'd ever wanted was to outshine his brothers and later, Harry. His Order of Merlin was something that none of his brothers achieved. And because of the way he earned it, Harry never got it either."

"I remember reading the story in the Daily Prophet. Harry was offered the Order of Merlin but he refused it, saying that he wasn't the one to deserve it. That because Ron had sacrificed himself he was the one who should have it."

"The Weasley's kept in touch for a few years after the war, but we knew they blamed Harry for involving him on the front lines. If he hadn't been friends with us then he would have taken part in the war but he wouldn't have gone out the way he did. Percy too. Right after the reconciliation."

Malfoy looked uneasy at Hermione's pain and searched for a change of topic. "I heard that Dumbledore asked you to start a club. Any ideas?"

Hermione nearly fell over as the train started moving. Malfoy caught her and steadied her. "Nothing yet. But I'll have to come up with something soon." They left the compartment and made their way to the seating compartments.

"I'm sure you will. I'll help you if you like."

Hermione stopped and looked at him like he was from another planet. "I never thought I'd hear you offering to help me."

"Get used to it, girl. We work together now." Malfoy bowed her into a compartment theatrically.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry snorted as Hermione slammed the books down on the counter. She was in a very bad mood this morning and he knew why.

Draco Malfoy.

They'd been back at school for less than a week and already Hermione was close to boiling point. He hadn't seen her like this since third year. It was true that she and Malfoy had never been friends but for some reason it was now worse than ever.

Harry didn't mind him, they'd managed to put the past behind them. To Harry's surprise Malfoy was actually a decent chap when you got to know him. Surprised Malfoy too.

But Malfoy was winding Hermione up just with his presence. Harry noticed how Hermione tensed up if he even entered the room and her frosty manner with him when he had sat next to her at meals in the Great Hall. And he had been sitting with her at every meal.

"Mione, calm yourself. He's only in here to get a book." Harry said trying not to laugh.

"I am perfectly calm!" Hermione snapped slamming another book down.

"Mione, in all the years I've known you, you have never mistreated books the way you are now. You need to calm down. Look, you'll have to deal with him every day until next June, so I suggest you get over this."

"What if I can't?" she said quietly, leaning over the counter with her head in her hands.

"I recommend you start liking him. Honestly, he's not a bad sort."

Hermione looked up at him. She saw the concern written in his eyes. Puzzlement as well, as to her response to him. "Did you ever think, when we were at school, that one day you'd be telling me to start liking Draco Malfoy?"

"No. We must be getting old."

"Not half as old as we'll feel when this place fills up with students." Hermione smiled a little.

"Good. A smile. That's good." Harry said and she giggled a little. "And that's even better."

"You are such a dork."

"Hey, I happen to be an international quidditch star. And international quidditch stars are most certainly not dorks."

"You're on sabbatical for a year because you got hit in the head too many times." She couldn't help laughing.

Pause. "Alright fine, I'll give you that." he glared playfully at her for a moment then laughed too.

"Well isn't this a wonderful sight?" Hermione stopped laughing abruptly while Harry started afresh at the expression on her face as Malfoy approached them.

"Get out of my library."

"Mione, be nice." Harry hissed.

"Fake smile and dead eyes is the best I can do."

"Done." Harry grinned.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"As it happens I came to the library for a book, isn't that a strange thing to be doing?"

"At this point you are abusing sarcasm. What book do you want?"

"Moste Potente Potions. I believe you know it. I can't find it."

Hermione glared at Harry who snorted. She got up and went towards the Restricted Section. Malfoy had also started in that direction, with the intention of going with her. She put out a hand to stop him.

"I'll get it. I just reorganised the Restricted Section, you wouldn't find anything. Stay." Smirking his own smirk at him she disappeared amongst the shelves.

Malfoy watched her go and then turned to Harry. "She stole my smirk."

"To be fair you have been smirking at her like that since we were eleven. After a few years you learn to smirk it back to you. Don't you remember her smirking it back at you at the Yule Ball in fourth year?"

"Yeah, kinda. But to be honest I was too busy drooling over how great she looked, and trying to hide it."

"Sounds like you had a crush on her."

"I'm not going to lie. It was more than a crush, I was in love with her."

Harry didn't even look surprised. He was used to boys and later men getting crushes on Hermione and the jealousy that went with them. The reason was simple; Hermione was still the bookworm she had been at school but now that she took some care of her appearance had grown into quite a beauty. The success of her books didn't help matters much either. "You hid it well. When did it start?"

"Third year."

"But she hit you in third year. I remember, it was such a good day for us."

"Quit teasing. That little event actually started it. It showed me a girl who wasn't awed by me or scared of my family, a girl who didn't fawn over me like Pansy and Millicent. I loved the fire I saw in her eyes despite how much she hurt me. She was so different. And she was unattainable. I wanted what I couldn't have. I could never win her, I knew I couldn't. So far as I knew she hated my existence and according to everyone I loathed her as I was supposed to."

"Houses at war. We were at war. Would have made a pretty good Romeo and Juliet story." Harry chuckled and Malfoy joined him.

"Yes, but times change, as have we. We've all grown up now. We're hardly in the Duelling Club anymore." Draco smirked.

Hermione came back and pushed the old book into Malfoy's chest forcefully. "I forgot where I put it." she then picked up the stack of books from the counter and stalked off again with a withering look at Malfoy.

"Something tells me she hasn't changed as much as we have." Harry said, trying his best not to smirk.


End file.
